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Strengths of self fulfilling prophecy theory
Strengths of self fulfilling prophecy theory
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
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More often than not, the outcomes of events that occur in a person’s life is the product of the idea of the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is that which “occurs when a person’s expectations of an event make the outcome more likely to occur than would otherwise have been true” (Adler and Towne, Looking Out, Looking In 66). Or restated, as Henry Ford once put it, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right!” This brief research paper touches on the two types of self-fulfilling prophecies, those that are self-imposed and those that are imposed by others. Additionally, it gives a discussion on how great of an influence it is in each person’s life, both positively and negatively, and how it consequently helps to mold one’s self-concept and ultimately one’s self.
The first topic of discussion is the self-imposed, or self-inflicted, self-fulfilling prophecy. This idea follows that if one has a preconception or notion of an outcome, then chances are that person will raise the possibility of making it so. Take for example these cases-in-hand that Channing Grigsby, teacher of self-esteem speaks of:
‘I can’t handle this.’ And guess what? We don’t handle it well. If I tell myself I won’t have a good time at the party I’m going to, I am likely to behave in ways that generate exactly that reality, eliciting from other people indifferent responses, proving my premise. (“A Course in Self-Esteem” 5)
Additionally, and antithetically, consider the example of the student studying for a mathematics test the following morning whose belief is that since he is and has been studying and has a good working knowledge of the subject area, that he will do well on the test and does so the following morning. When compared to another student doing the same but is less prepared and knowledgeable in the area and additionally thinks that he will fail and did, he performed better because of his positive expectation and preparedness. Take a moment to reconsider the inclusion of the idea of preparation in the example. Here, preparation is just as important a factor to consider because it is a variable that can greatly surpass the influence of the self-fulfilling prophecy. The other student who did not prepare well and did not know the material as well would have failed anyway, despite how great of preconceived thoughts he may have had. In this case, because the concept...
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...pment. And because it does so, it is absolutely essential that as a collective, as a body, as a society, as a people, that a certain degree of understanding is found. That is so that individuals may have a better understanding of their internal, emotional and psychological processes as well as those of others. And with that, a mutual understanding of one another that helps to promote community and a better state of physical, mental, social and spiritual health.
Works Cited
Adler, Ronald B., and Neil Towne. Looking Out, Looking In. USA: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1999.
Bidwell, Lee D. Millar, and Brenda J. Vander Mey. Sociology of the Family: Investigating Family Issues. MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
Bushman, Brad J., Roy F. Baumeister, and Angela D. Stack. “Catharsis, Aggression, and Persuasive Influence: Self-Fulfilling or Self-Defeating Prophecies.” Online Posting. 17 July 2001
Self-fulfilling prophesy, where people expect a person to act a specific way so they treat them as if they would act...
Families.” University of Delaware – Human Development and Family Studies. N.p., 2008. 1-36. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Focusing on Strawson’s position on the notion of free will, he points out the argument of the pessimists, who believe that the reason why one can be responsible for what one does is because one’s self is sometime independent of one’s general mental state (). Strawson debunks this by presenting the fact that they are not recognizing the importance of the self or “the agent self”. He states,
Since schemas are psychological notions that brings to light what a person should expect based on recollections of previous and or recent experiences. Self- fulfilling prophecy is one’s own predications now validated. The relation between schemas and self- fulfilling prophecy is that schemas push forth memories, and those schemas are trying to recreate or prevent the feelings the person had in previous experiences and ultimately will changing their behaviour. The self- fulfilling prophecy could either be good or bad based upon what the situation is, and is most likely to come true once a person has to perceived it has so. For example, of a negative self- fulfilling prophecy is a paranoid person in a relationship. If a person experienced heart
Expectancy Theory suggests that human actions are guided by the expected results of those actions (Expectancy Theory). It proposes that humans act in a certain way only if they believe that that the action is going to result in a certain desired outcome. Therefore, this theory acknowledges that humans exercise choice on their actions. This choice is exercised in three different ways, which are classified as expectancy, Instrumentality, and valence (Expectancy Theory). Expectancy refers to the knowledge and belief that one can effectively do a particular action; instrumentality refers to the belief that one will be rewarded upon effectively executing a particular action, and valence refers to the level of value a person places on the rewards being offered after properly executing a particular action (Expectancy
It is common in individuals that when something goes wrong or right, people habitually mull over how an outcome could have been altered if they acted otherwise. Such notions are also known as counterfactual thinking (Mandel & Lehman, 1996). These thoughts encompasses visualising options of various aspects of a supposed event. They are restrictive and emphasizes on actions that did not take place, coupled with the hinging of “if-then” where “if” denotes a particular act and “then” indicates a goal (Smallman & Roese, 2009). Past researchers tend to focus more on the formulation of counterfactual thoughts. An underexplored area of how self-esteem influences counterfactual thoughts and behavioural intention serves as a basis for further investigation.
To explain this, as we learn from our “what if” moments we make better decisions for the future. For example, a student may question themselves what if I had studied two weeks before the test, maybe I would have passed. Counterfactual thoughts are emotional based situations, where people think about what could have been done differently in a situation whether they are happy, sad, or nervous. Counterfactual thinking requires the human mind to create alternatives to moments in life that have already happened. Our thoughts are counter to the fact, which often leads us into questioning our own actions to try to make previous situations better for future occurrences. (BOOK) According to _____, Our attributions influence our emotional reactions to events and therefore our counterfactual thoughts do as well. If we know better, we will do better. For example, If Andrea failed her big exam because she decided to go out the weekend before the test and got arrested for drunk driving, Andrea wouldn’t have much time to study because she spent the night in jail. She then may come up with counterfactual scenarios (e.g., if only I had called an Uber to drive me
In summary, the idea of self-reliance will continue to bewilder the minds of our current and future generations. In fact, this is due to the lack of a definite answer to the question. Nevertheless, I am persuaded that whether an individual be a believer or non-believer in having control of their destiny, there are forces or uncontrollable factors in life that have the ability to control a minute percentage of one’s destiny.
The text defines self-serving bias as the tendency to perceive oneself favorably. This bias leads us to believe that we are immune to the influences that affect the rest of humanity. In the self-serving bias, our successes are attributed to internal causes (effort or ability), while our failures are attributed to external factors (bad luck). Time and again, experimenters have found that people readily accept credit when told they have succeeded, yet attribute failure to such external factors as bad luck or the problem's inherent "impossibility." Imagine getting a promotion. Most of us will feel that this success is due to hard work, intelligence, dedication, and similar internal factors. But if you are fired, well obviously your boss wouldn't know a good thing if it were staring her in the face. The self-serving bias has been demonstrated countless times: the majority of Americans believe they are smarter and better looking than average; most drivers (even those hospitalized for accidents) believe themselves more skilled than the av...
The idea of certainty and self-belief is a that is expressed in many medias. This belief of certainty is usually expressed through phrases such as “You can do it!” What one should wonder is if this self-certainty is really for the best. Afterall, too much of this certainty can lead to rash actions with negative consequences. The solution to this is doubt; not doubting everything that you do, but having a sense of doubt that will level with your certainty, which will give rise to correct and proper actions. Ultimately, certainty and doubt are both concepts in which while they are opposites by definition, one can not prevail without the other. This is the case because too much doubt will prevent moving forward and too much certainty can lead
Sometimes we avoid reality, we deny the truth, and we fool ourselves. In some cases we may see the world the way we want to, and not the way it is. Self deception raises basic questions about the nature of belief and the relation of belief to thought, desire, and will. Everything about the concept of self deception is controversial among philosophers and psychologists. When philosophers and psychologists discuss self deception, they usually focus on unconscious
will act to maintain his or her self-image regardless of whether it is high or low.” (Greene & Frandsen, 1979, p. 124) Self-esteem is important in social situations; it can help a person have
Langer, E. J. (1975). The illusion of control. Journal of personality and social psychology, 32(2), 311.
Every human has a personal belief structure—it’s just a part of human nature. Just as we believe the sun warms us, or rain nourished the land, we can then surmise that beliefs are in deed part of human nature thus is the backbone to determining and achieving goals. For this reason, a belief in oneself is a critical component to accomplishing goals. The way a person acts is based on their personal belief structure whether spiritually enhanced or basic human instinct, without beliefs we would be animals. Every person has closely held beliefs and goals— sometimes it is just to find a way to survive. Additionally, a person’s behavior is based on their
The researchers manipulated or measured free will belief and looked at the correlation between these beliefs and the quantity and nature of counterfactual thoughts. The authors thought that a high belief in free will would correlate to more counterfactual thoughts overall, than free will disbelief. A person remembering their negative and unpleasant moments would probably feel a sense negativity, however this type of reminiscing could help their